It doesn’t make sense, yet it does.
The tiramisu latte at Manasiri Crepe is not a double-shot latte with dessert flavoring. No, it’s a coffee drink with a slice of tiramisu dunked on top – a drink that you eat, a cake that you sip. And since owner Abdallah Manasiri added it to the creperie’s menu in November, the unique creation has become wildly popular.
“We posted a video and it got 30,000 views on TikTok,” he says. “We’ve never had this kind of business.”
If you think of the tiramisu latte as a gimmicky affront to Italian tradition, consider that the concept is not a new one. However, it started more reasonably, as a latte with tiramisu-flavored syrup, a dollop of mascarpone and a dusting of cocoa powder. More recently people began adding the real thing.
“We saw video of a cafe in Italy doing it,” Manasiri explains. “We stole the idea from them.”
Of course, the downtown Monterey spot is known for crepes, not tiramisu. That’s where Chef Rudolfo Ponce of Rudolfo’s in Pacific Grove comes in. He prepares the dessert and sends a few trays over to Manasiri’s. The crew at the creperie take care of the assembly.
And the dessert drink works. After all, tiramisu starts with ladyfingers dipped in coffee. The creamy, bittersweet cake takes kindly to an iced latte, lending a richness and plush texture. The latte and dessert become one, with smiles all around.
Oh, and they also prepare a matcha version.
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